The storm, now downgraded to a Tropical Depression, made landfall near the resort town of Cabo San Lucas.

It hit amid the worst rainy season ever recorded in some parts and just days after Hurricane Karl flooded large areas and killed at least 15 people.

Although Georgette has reduced in power it is still bringing strong winds and torrential rain to the area as it moves across the Gulf of California.

In Baja California, the region's director of civil defence, Jose Gajon, said that about 1,000 families had been evacuated from areas vulnerable to flooding and storm surges.

Hillside collapse

Georgette is located about 245km (155 miles) south of Guaymas and is moving in a north-westerly direction at a speed of about 22km/h (14mph).

A tropical storm watch is now in effect for the coast of mainland Mexico from Huatabampito northwards as far as Bahia Kino.

Meanwhile heavy downpours have continued to drench southern and central Mexico in the wake of Hurricane Karl, causing floods and landslides.

Early on Tuesday, a hillside collapsed on a bus near the town of Villa Guerrero, 60km (35 miles) south-west of Mexico City, killing at least seven people, bringing the number known to have died as a result of the hurricane to 15.

There are fears the death toll could rise further as emergency crews are continuing to search many of the hundreds of towns and villages which have been flooded, digging through thick mud and debris in search of others who are missing, and some remote areas are yet to be reached.

In the eastern state of Veracruz, which bore the brunt of Hurricane Karl, officials say that about 500,000 people have been affected by the storm, including around 40,000 people who are living in emergency shelters.

"Nearly half the state is under water," Veracruz governor Fidel Herrera said.

In recent weeks the country has been enduring the worst rainy season on record.

The southern states of Oaxaca and Tabasco have also suffered severe floods, bringing the total affected nationwide to one million people.